"Whatever is happening, the idea is for the player to be here next season.

"I have said this numerous times. We are pretty confident we will be able to keep him."

Spurs are expected to be active in the transfer market this summer, regardless of whether they sneak in to the Champions League at Arsenal's expense during this weekend's tense final round of matches.

Tottenham have relied heavily on Bale's scoring ability this term, with neither Emmanuel Adebayor nor Jermain Defoe able to maintain their consistency or fitness throughout the season.

Barcelona striker David Villa is one of several players who have been linked with the north London club.

At 31-years-old, he does not look like the kind of striker that Spurs would normally pursue, but if the club can negotiate a cut-price deal with Barca, having a man who has won a World Cup and Champions League in the ranks would certainly help Villas-Boas next term.

The Spurs manager said: "He's one of the world's best strikers.

"What comes out of speculation at this time at Tottenham is very surreal because you know this club is very active in the last weeks of the transfer window, so you can see that speculation is growing here and there but at the moment we are focused on trying to get the fourth spot."